Yield: 4

Ingredients

• size 14-16 chicken
• vegetable trimmings (see method)
• 3 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
• 2 medium sized carrots, chopped into 1.5cm chunks
• 1 stalk celery, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 50g butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (cooking liquid from the chicken)
• 250g creme fraiche
• 275g puff pastry (approx 1 1/2 pre-rolled sheets)
• 1 egg yolk, whisked with a fork

Method

Place the chicken into a large saucepan and cover with cold water.  Add trimmings of onion, carrot, celery and parsley to the pan.   Bring to the boil and then simmer for 45 minutes until the chicken is well cooked. Once cool enough to handle remove the flesh from the bones and pull into bite sized pieces, set aside. Return the skin and carcass to the saucepan.  Simmer the liquid until it reduces by half before straining off the chicken and vegetables and scooping off surface fat as it rises. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. Combine the leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme leaves and butter in a large frying pan, cook over a gentle heat until the leeks are tender. Mix the flour into the pan and continue to cook, stirring,  for 2-3 minutes, pour in the chicken stock and allow the liquid to boil and thicken.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and then stir through the creme fraiche and chicken meat. Pour the filling into a 1.25 litre capacity baking dish. Cover with pastry, press the edges against the dish to seal. Brush with egg wash and prick holes in the centre with a fork before cooking for 25 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.